I awoke to the usual bright light in my eyes that shined through my window every morning. I didn’t have a shade so when the sun rose it always hit me directly in the face. For some reason I could never fall asleep if I slept on my other side, and so I had to endure early starts every day. It wasn’t too bad, I usually got up sooner than later anyway, but not having a choice in the matter grated on my nerves at times. I groaned and rolled out of bed, moving over to my bathroom to try and get my bedhead under control. It took a while but I managed to get it at least presentable before walking downstairs for breakfast. As usual mom was in the kitchen fixing the food for us. How she always beat me downstairs I’ll never know, but I didn’t question the great food that always met me every morning.

“Morning mom,” I said as I sat down at the table, “What’s for breakfast today?”

She spoke without even looking over her shoulder, “You’re not getting anything until you feed your dragon. His needs will always come first now that you have him, so I’d get busy if you want to come back to hot food.”

For a split second I had no idea what she was talking about, and then I remembered the previous night, the fight with the Blood Claw, Nilak, everything.

I stumbled to my hooves and hastily made my way out to the stable, calling a quick ‘thank you’ to mom for reminding me. I pushed open the door and looked inside, completely expecting the thing to be empty. For some reason the previous night felt more like a dream than reality. However, my hopes were dashed as I spotted Nilak lying in a pile of hay in the back of the stable. His tail was curled up to just under his muzzle and his eyes were closed. I waited for him to react to my entry, but the muffled snore that met my pause proved that Nilak was truly out cold. I chuckled to myself and walked over to the water basin at the right wall, filling up a small bucket with the ice cold water and walking over to Nilak’s sleeping form.

“Rise and shine you overgrown lizard,” I said it fairly loud in an attempt to wake him up politely, but all I got in answer was a slight shift of weight and a gusty sigh, “Alright, you asked for it,” I tipped the bucket over on his head and instinctively jumped back as he jolted from sleep.

He raised his head with a loud roar and I was glad I had moved back. His tail thrashed about and his claws dug channels in the dirt floor as he moved his head from side to side in search of his attacker.

When his gaze fell on me I covered my ears to no avail as he yelled directly into my mind, WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?! I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A WONDERFUL DREAM! I ducked as his tail whipped over my head and I had to cover my mouth to try and hold in my laughter. I knew it wasn’t a good idea to laugh at an angry dragon, but his reaction was just too much to take. I fell back in the dirt as I failed to hold in my mirth, and Nilak tilted his head to the side as his tail came back to the ground, And what is so funny?

“You stupid!” I yelled as I stood up again, “You should have seen yourself when I poured the water on your head. It was like you were going to burn down everything in sight, and all just because of a little water!” I knew I wasn’t making any sense, but seeing Nilak blow up over a bucket of water just seemed to hit a chord in me.

Nilak shook his head with a snort, Very funny. You know you could have woke me up more gently. I’m not a very deep sleeper so I don’t know why you needed to use ice water.

“Oh please, light sleeper my hoof!” I crossed my front legs and grinned at him, “I practically yelled in your ear and you didn’t do anything more than flinch. Admit it, I had no other choice and you’re just mad I had to wake you up the rude way.”

He let out a gusty sigh and stood up, stretching his legs and arching his back like an enormous cat, Alright, I admit it. Had you not used that water I probably wouldn’t have awoken until noon. I just hate mornings and I’ve never been one to do anything before midday. Anything I get done is over the afternoon and into the night. Sometimes I don’t get to sleep until after midnight. Can you blame me for sleeping in?

“No I can’t blame you for that,” I said, “but the late nights and late starts stop here. If we’re going to qualify in the trials next week, we’re going to have to work from dawn until dusk on getting stronger and faster. You and I both know that only the best get into the Dragon Circuit.”

I walked over to the left wall and pulled down a saddle that I had made for when I got a dragon. It had three sets of straps and was fitted with a restraining belt so we could do rough maneuvers and I wouldn’t get thrown out of the saddle.

I turned around and lifted it up for Nilak to see, “This is something you and I will also need to get used to. I can’t very well ride you without a saddle.”

Ha! He shook his head from side to side, you’ll just have to make do without it, because the only way I’m going to wear a saddle is if you can put it on me by force. You may be my partner, but that does not make me your personal ride everywhere you want to go.

I sighed, lowering the saddle to rest end-first on the floor, “I really wish I didn’t have to do this,” without warning I snatched a small metal tube off of the workbench under the saddle’s wall rack and put it against my mouth. A puff of air later and a small dart was stuck in Nilak’s flesh just in front of his hind leg.

He looked back at the dart and then back at me, What was that – Whatever he was about to say faltered as the paralyzing toxin entered his nervous system and he fell over on his side. What did you do? I-I can’t move anything.

“That was a little something I had in case the dragon I purchased wouldn’t allow me to saddle him or her,” I set down the tube and walked over to Nilak’s side with the saddle, “It just so happens to be effective on non-collared dragons as well.”

As I worked the straps under his torso and secured the saddle to his back, he spoke into my mind with a tone that bordered on respectful, I never would have guessed you would sedate a dragon to get him to do what you want. You seemed too nice when I met you to do such a thing. I must say it takes a lot to surprise me, but I never saw this coming.

“Nopony ever does,” I replied as I stepped back and rubbed my hooves together to get rid of the dirt, “The toxin is not harmful, it just makes movement impossible for a short period of time. You should be able to move in a few minutes and be able to walk in about half an hour. I wouldn’t try pushing it too hard, but other than some stiffness you should be fine,” I grabbed a slab of meat from the cooler built into the right wall, grimacing despite myself at the idea of eating something that used to be alive. I held it in as light a grip as possible and hauled out half of a beef ribcage, still raw and just barely below freezing. I left it in front of Nilak’s nose and his lips twitched in response to the scent of food, “You can have that for breakfast once you can move again. In the meantime I have some things to do,” I turned around and waved over my shoulder as I walked out the stable door, “See you in a bit.”

Wait! he yelled in my mind, where do you think you’re going? Come back here and help me.

I turned and smirked at him over my shoulder, “Just because you decided to be stubborn doesn’t mean I have to miss my breakfast. You brought this on yourself so you’ll have to deal with it until the toxin wears off,” I turned back to my house and walked inside, ignoring Nilak’s yells inside my head to turn around. I chuckled under my breath as I sat back down at the table, a plate of warm eggs and waffles being placed in front of me at the very moment my flank hit the chair, “Dragons,” I muttered under my breath through a grin, “what are you going to do?”

An hour later I walked back into the stable to find Nilak sitting with his back to the door. His eyes were locked on the floor in front of his claws and his tail was limp behind him. His wings drooped to drag in the dirt and he kept letting out long sighs. I could have sworn he looked like he was sulking, but it must have been my imagination. What remained of the ribcage lay in a neat pile next to the water bin, the bones picked clean and any traces of blood licked off. I knew that all dragons were carnivores, but I had never thought about what it would be like to be on the menu. Ever since the invention of the collars, dragons were no more dangerous to ponies than a dog could be. It was only because of gangs like the Blood Claw that dragons harmed ponies at all, and even then it was only under direct order from their masters.

With Nilak it was different, he was under no one’s control and if he truly wanted to, it could be a mare or stallion that was next on the list of things to be eaten. He had told me that dragons were not the aggressors in the war, but that didn’t change the fact that dragons had killed and eaten ponies in the past, and could very well do so again. It was only the threat of Lord Song that made me even consider what Nilak was planning, and even then I did it with a cautious approach to every decision I made. I knew that one wrong move could be the start of the dragon/pony wars anew, either because of old grudges in the dragons or out of fear from us.

I walked up and ran my hoof down his side, “Don’t tell me you’re ticked because I got the better of you. Are you truly so prideful that one moment of defeat destroys your self-image?” I walked up in front of him and looked up to meet his emerald eyes, “If you’re mad I’m sorry, but it was you who said I would have to force the saddle on you, not me. Had you just let me put it on you I wouldn’t have had to use the dart.”

I know that, he said with a resigned tone, but the fact that a pony with no special abilities got the better of me has shaken all I’ve been told. From the day I was born I learned that ponies were weak and could never control us. It was only the collars that made it possible for you to enslave our kind. I prided myself in being one of the strongest dragons of my generation, so being bested by a colt was a bit of a shock. He lay down on his side and held his head at my level, I have some of the strongest magic in any dragon living, and yet a simple dart put me out of play like I had no power at all. If someone like you could do that to me without any trouble, what chance do I have of killing a wizard who has more power than a thousand of you combined? He sighed and lowered his head to his front feet, I feel like I’ve been fooled into thinking my mission could ever come to fruit. What chance do a young pony and dragon have of ever taking on a sorcerer? We might as well quit while we still have our lives to live.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” I walked over and bent down next to his head, lifting it up so he had to look me in the eyes, “You were the one who was so sure of himself before and now you want to quit! No way Nilak, I’m not letting you back out after all the trouble you put me through. We’re going to get into the Dragon Circuit, and we’re going to win the Draconic Heaven Championship no matter what it takes!” I shook his head slightly to get his attention as he tried to look away, “Are you listening to me? We’re not done. Either you get your bruised pride under control or I’ll get my mother’s yardstick and slap you on your rump until you can’t stand!” I pulled him forward until the end of his muzzle touched my chest and my eyes were inches from his. My voice was little more than a whisper but it had an edge that would put a razor blade to shame, “Now, get your act together or I’ll end up doing something really stupid to snap you back to your senses. Are you my partner or are you not?”

His eyes had gone very wide and I could swear I saw a hint of fear threatening to show in his emerald gaze. He didn’t move for a while and he didn’t even seem to be breathing. Finally he looked down and muttered in the back of my head, You’re right. We’re a team and if I can’t take the failures with the victories we will never succeed in our goal. He looked back into my eyes with a warm fire in his gaze, Let’s get going. We have some training to do before the trials start. He stood up and turned around, extending his front leg so I could use it as a step up and into the saddle.

“You know we’re going to have to meet my friends today,” I said as I climbed into the saddle, “They’ve been waiting for me to get a dragon for ages and now that I have you as my partner, they’ll want to know everything about you,” I knew what he was about to say so I cut him off, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell them the truth. I’ll just make something up to keep them from digging into it too much. Now, how are we going to do this? Usually the rider has total control of his mount so there is no conflict of opinion, but you have free will and might think another action would be better. We need to agree on something before we go out there or something is bound to go wrong.”

How about I go along with what you say unless it’s too stupid or too dangerous to try. If you don’t think I would like it, try not to order me to do it unless you have no choice. That way I don’t have to fight your orders and possibly raise suspicions, he looked back over his shoulder at me, Sound fair to you?

I nodded back, “Sounds good to me. Well, if we’re going to fool anyone, I’m going to have to start giving you orders. Nilak, lets’ go.”

He chuckled under his breath, Don’t get used to it cowpony. I’m only listening to you because I have to. When we’re alone you’d better ask nicely or I might just have to step on you. He must have felt me tense because his chuckle was louder the second time, You’re too easy to mess with. I won’t really hurt you, just let you know who’s boss and who’s not. Remember, this is my mission, if I didn’t need you I wouldn’t be here. Keep that in mind if you think about ordering me around too much.

We walked out of the stable, my body shifting with his as his weight moved from side to side. We came out into the light and I saw for the first time how amazing his body looked. His navy feathers shined in the morning sun like the finest satin and his scales glowed like a thousand sapphires. I called to mom to tell her I was going to hang with my friends and she called back at me to be home for dinner.

Nilak chuckled as he spread his wings and we took off into the air, Your mother sounds just like mine, always telling me never to go too far or to be back before dark. He glanced back at me, Make sure to never break her heart. I made that mistake once and it cost my mother her life. Had I not been so stupid with my loose tongue she would still be alive. Never speak out in hate or spite, because she won’t always be around to protect you and take care of you.

With that sobering thought he looked back forward, beating his wings as we soared over the rooftops. I looked down and let out a whoop as we sailed over the city center. I could fly with my own wings just fine, but there was something amazing about flying without using my own abilities to do so. It added a hint of fictitious danger that made my blood race in excitement. For a while I just let Nilak go where he pleased, but after a half hour or so I began to get a bit sore. It may not have looked like riding a dragon was hard work, but every time Nilak shifted his weight I had to do the same or risk being dumped. I knew I had no need to fear falling, but that was beside the point. After flying for almost an hour I was getting tired and figured it was time to land. We just happened to be flying over my friends’ neighborhood and it seemed like perfect timing.

“My friends live just below us,” I called over the rushing wind, “Land so we can say hi to everyone. I’m getting a bit saddle sore back here.”

As you wish. Just remember to say please and we’ll get along fine, he tilted his wings and began a tight spiral down to the ground, barely moving his wings to keep him on course. Just as we were about to hit the ground, he flipped open his wings and flapped them quickly, effectively slowing our drop to a near halt. He touched down like a feather and I unbuckled myself as I slid down his side to the ground. He caught me with one paw as I stumbled on weak legs, and I could hear his soft chuckle as he helped me back to my hooves. Having trouble standing? You might want to work on that for future reference.

“Smart-aleck dragon,” I muttered as I stood up and walked to my friends’ front door. Lucky Star and Ivy Charm lived together in an apartment since they had moved out of their parents’ houses at the age of sixteen. They were my best friends in the world and I would do anything for them. We had known each other since grade school, and had been inseparable ever since that first day in second grade. I knocked on the door and after a slight pause Ivy opened the door, her long brown mane a mess and her hazel eyes baggy from lack of sleep. Her soft green coat was spiked and unkempt and her tail was just as messy as her mane.

“Oh, it’s you Silver,” she yawned hugely and opened the door all of the way, revealing that she was wearing a very kinky set of black stockings and what looked like a black lace pair of panties.

I had to avert my eyes before she could catch me staring at her more than suggestive attire, hoping she wouldn’t smack me for seeing her like this. We may have been close friends but staring at her in that get up would likely get me slapped. From her looks and the way she was dressed, I had a feeling she and Lucky had been out on the town again last night, probably only getting home around three in the morning. They loved to visit the clubs and get drunk off their flanks with a few stallions. I was still clueless how neither of them had gotten pregnant after having so many one-night stands, but it didn’t matter too much. They knew I knew what they liked to do and I was okay with them doing it so long as they didn’t get into trouble. They had always been the rebellious type, and I had never really seen it as a bad thing if they had some fun while looking for the right colt. If a few drinks helped things along then so be it, just as long as nopony messed with them. I’d buck the first offender through the wall if I found out somepony had taken advantage of either of them.

“Umm, I, uhh, wanted to show you guys my new dragon,” I motioned at Nilak with one leg, “I figured you and Lucky would want to meet him but I can come back some other time if you’re not up to it.”

She gasped as she spotted Nilak behind me in the street and shook her head violently, “No way! You actually got a dragon! Wait right here and I’ll get Lucky.”

She closed the door and I turned to Nilak, “Prepare yourself, this is going to get hairy really quick,” I couldn’t say more because the door opened once again and I was practically knocked over as Lucky wrapped me in a crushing bear hug. Unlike Ivy, Lucky’s midnight blue coat was combed and neat, her tail tied with a small ribbon the same color as her fur.

“Why didn’t you tell me you got a dragon!” Her black mane whipped in my face as she stared me down with her bright green eyes, “I can’t wait to meet him. Where is he?” Before I could answer she spotted Nilak behind me and she squealed with delight. I swore Nilak took a step back as she ran up and started checking out every inch of his body.

Nilak looked at me and spoke in my head with an amused tone, Your friend is very excitable. If her dragon is the same I wonder how we’re going to survive the rest of the day.

I smirked and thought back to him, Don’t worry, Melinda is the complete opposite to Lucky. I don’t think she would be able to handle being the rider of a dragon just like her. In fact, Melinda is the most calm and sensible dragon I’ve ever met. She may not have free will like you, but I’ve seen her defy Lucky multiple times just to keep her from doing something stupid. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you weren’t the only dragon running around that’s not under the control of the collars.

Nilak nodded slightly as he moved Lucky away with his tail, much to the mare’s dislike, I think this might turn out better than I had hoped. Melinda sounds a lot like a dragon I once knew back home who was sent here before me with the same mission. If she’s who I think she is, we just gained a powerful ally.

He didn’t elaborate on the subject because Ivy had just rejoined us, albeit now lacking the lingerie. She joined Lucky by Nilak and together they spoke praise after praise about him. Nothing on his body seemed to have a flaw in their eyes. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and I said, “You know he’s going to get a swelled head if you keep saying how great he is. He’s got a big enough ego as it is without you two adding to it.”

Lucky turned around and stuck her tongue out at me, “We can say how handsome he is all we want,” she reached up and rubbed Nilak behind the ears, causing him to groan and lean into her ministrations, “See, he’s just a big sweetheart.”

You know, mmmm, I could get used to this. Oh yes, right there! The big oaf actually started twitching his back leg as Ivy started rubbing his other ear.

After a few minutes of Nilak melting in the girls’ hands I decided enough was enough, “So are you going to introduce him to your dragons or are we going to sit here giving massages all day?”

Both earth ponies paused and then simultaneously face-hoofed themselves, “How stupid could we be?” Lucky muttered as she lowered her hoof, “We completely forgot!”

She whistled loudly and Ivy did the same soon after, though the pitch was higher in Lucky’s whistle than Ivy’s. Twin shadows appeared above us as the two dragons half flew and half jumped over the apartment building. They landed on either side of the front steps and walked up to the girls as they ran to praise them for coming so quickly. I glanced at Nilak and saw he was staring at Melinda with wide eyes. In an instant I knew that Malinda was his friend from the wild lands, the glow of recognition in his gaze was unmistakable. However, that could also mean that we had a whole new problem on our hooves, depending on whether Melinda was truly free of the collar that hung around her neck like a manacle.

Author's Notes:

So this is a story that I've had lying around for a while. It took some major editing but I think I've got it good to go for all of you guys. I hope to post a chapter a day, maybe two, so hang onto your horseshoes, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
I'll see you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.